Bears Preseason 2026 thread

[gflore34]

28 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

I imagine with the more we understand about CTE, with the more players will get paid in college and earlier in their careers, we're going to see a lot more Drew Dalmans. 

Recent NYT report said that more than 1/4 of former players who died in a 20 year span had CTE, and the number is almost certainly much higher than that (because they couldn't test every former player's brain who died). Football exacts an incalculable toll on player's bodies and minds, and if you end up getting a generational payday (like Kyler's 40 million extension) it can be very hard to justify continuing to ruin your body. 

I don't love it, as a fan, but also, as a human being, it makes a ton of sense. 

Wholeheartedly agree, don't hold against the players who desire to be functional after football.  I do have a problem with what Gordon appears to be doing. Dude, if you appreciated the Bears, you should have retired well before the draft.

Edited 20 hours ago by gflore34

[The_Achiever]

30 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

I imagine with the more we understand about CTE, with the more players will get paid in college and earlier in their careers, we're going to see a lot more Drew Dalmans. 

Recent NYT report said that more than 1/4 of former players who died in a 20 year span had CTE, and the number is almost certainly much higher than that (because they couldn't test every former player's brain who died). Football exacts an incalculable toll on player's bodies and minds, and if you end up getting a generational payday (like Kyler's 40 million extension) it can be very hard to justify continuing to ruin your body. 

I don't love it, as a fan, but also, as a human being, it makes a ton of sense. 

I agree with the analysis here, but doesn't Kyler's contract kick in this season?  He was a second round pick so has already made some money, but I wonder how this would work with his new deal.  Is he trying to sit out while being "injured" so he can get paid for the season and then quit?  It really doesn't seem like he's making a good faith effort on anything (a la Nate Davis) so I wouldn't be opposed to the team at least making it hard on him to collect any of the contract.  

[Banedon]

9 minutes ago, The_Achiever said:

I agree with the analysis here, but doesn't Kyler's contract kick in this season?

[The_Achiever]

I see the dead cap hit, but couldn't they sue for breach of contract?  Just be a man and retire.  Lordy!  

[Banedon]

3 minutes ago, The_Achiever said:

I see the dead cap hit, but couldn't they sue for breach of contract?  Just be a man and retire.  Lordy!  

If he's in the building, rehabbing and doing what the doctors are telling him to do, I think they're kinda stuck.  They can't say he's lying about how he's feeling.

[Banedon]

Bears got a #1 vote from an exec...

 

NFL execs rank NFC teams: Rams, Seahawks clear favorites. Can the Bears keep rising? - The Athletic

[The_Achiever]

Man the NFC is such a meat grinder.  Even teams way down the list like NYG, Minn, Carolina and New Orleans could be real tough.   

[gflore34]

1 hour ago, BigSlick said:

Also, how did this guy fall to the 6th round? 

Even if it's all a high motor against fringey NFL guys, uhhhh I want that! 

Despite the highlights being against NFL-lite players he appears to have a quicker burst than Dexter.  I liked Dexter, just think he may be too slow, think its why 2-teams were so effective and why he has problems stopping the run.

Edited 18 hours ago by gflore34

[WrigleyField 22]

2 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I imagine with the more we understand about CTE, with the more players will get paid in college and earlier in their careers, we're going to see a lot more Drew Dalmans. 

Recent NYT report said that more than 1/4 of former players who died in a 20 year span had CTE, and the number is almost certainly much higher than that (because they couldn't test every former player's brain who died). Football exacts an incalculable toll on player's bodies and minds, and if you end up getting a generational payday (like Kyler's 40 million extension) it can be very hard to justify continuing to ruin your body. 

I don't love it, as a fan, but also, as a human being, it makes a ton of sense. 

Yea of the players tests in that sample it was like 95%. So basically at least 25% of former players have CTE because... 25% were tested.

 

Now granted, the tested sample probably is the sample more likely to want to be tested because they experienced notable symptoms.  But we've officially had positive CTE results for teens who've only played youth/HS. It's a major risk factor.

[Banedon]

45 minutes ago, gflore34 said:

Despite the highlights being against NFL-lite players he appears to have a quicker burst than Dexter.  I liked Dexter, just think he may be too slow, think its why 2-teams were so effective and why he has problems stopping the run.

Well the blatent holding helped slow him down too.

[gflore34]

Just now, Banedon said:

Well the blatent holding helped slow him down too.

Yeah, he's held quite a bit, doesn't get the calls, had his name been Garrett, Parsons, Hutchinson, etc. he'd probably get more calls.

[BigSlick]

1 hour ago, The_Achiever said:

Man the NFC is such a meat grinder.  Even teams way down the list like NYG, Minn, Carolina and New Orleans could be real tough.   

I'm not afraid of those guys 

 

Obviously every year you're going to lose some games you should have won (Ravens game, I'm looking at you), and the Bears will most certainly drop one game against those chuckleheads, but I'm not afraid of them. 

Edited 16 hours ago by BigSlick

[Soul]

2 hours ago, gflore34 said:

Yeah, he's held quite a bit, doesn't get the calls, had his name been Garrett, Parsons, Hutchinson, etc. he'd probably get more calls.

Overall the refs have let holding become a nearly optional call except in blatant cases.  It does seem like there’s bias involved too.

[Banedon]

 

 

[gflore34]

4 hours ago, BigSlick said:

I'm not afraid of those guys 

 

Obviously every year you're going to lose some games you should have won (Ravens game, I'm looking at you), and the Bears will most certainly drop one game against those chuckleheads, but I'm not afraid of them. 

Neither am I, bring them on, the whole dread of a possibly hard schedule is load of horsefeathers.  There's way too many variables, a team can literally go from good to bad, bad to good, there's no way, for the most part, team X is going to bad or good before the games are played.

Edited 13 hours ago by gflore34

[Tryptamine]

1 hour ago, Banedon said:

 

 

Guys playing with dislocations,  fractures and tears meanwhile he's good enough to be doing sprint drills and yet can't practice.  History might prove me wrong, but it just feels like he's a guy who is either 100% healthy or he sidelines himself. 

[gflore34]

I believe I see what the Bears are doing, financials aside, they've effectively cut Gordon by putting him on the PUP list.  Apparently he cannot practice for the first two weeks and play in the first four games.  This is the key part - after two weeks the Bears have a 21 day window to activate him and move him to the 53 man roster.  If not activated within the 21 day window he'll not be able to play in 2026.  Yeah, he's done as Bear, they didn't out right release him but, they did the next closet thing.

Edited 12 hours ago by gflore34

[Bobson Dugnutt]

1 hour ago, gflore34 said:

I believe I see what the Bears are doing, financials aside, they've effectively cut Gordon by putting him on the PUP list.  Apparently he cannot practice for the first two weeks and play in the first four games.  This is the key part - after two weeks the Bears have a 21 day window to activate him and move him to the 53 man roster.  If not activated within the 21 day window he'll not be able to play in 2026.  Yeah, he's done as Bear, they didn't out right release him but, they did the next closet thing.

They did not effectively cut Gordon by putting him on the PUP list lol what are you talking about

 

and no, they have the option to open a 21-day practice window as early as week 3, positioning him to play as soon as week 5. But they do not have to open the 21-day practice window that early. Formerly, it was a 5 week period during which a team could begin the 21-day practice window for a player, but im not sure how the rule changes allowing PUP players to begin their window as soon as week 3 changes this (I.e is it still a 5 week period or is it now 7?). but presumably they have until at least week 8, maybe week 10, to open his window.

Like it or not, Gordon is almost certainly here for the next two seasons, so ya just gotta hope he gets healthy and sees the field as much as possible.